It almost feels like character derailment on Tidus' and Yuna's part, simply for the sake of setting up a new drama, especially when you take X-2.5 into account. Yuna just sounded more like her starting FFX self-- reserved, shut in, insecure. According to the description of the plot for 2.5 tidus sounds like a bit of an ass.

Then there are the two new characters, who I have a rather strong dislike for. Chuami has that whole "My dad was a famous good guy" bit, which seems implausible, and Kurgum...well, his bit at the end sorta felt both cliché and ass-pull-ish.

Also, anyone else pick up on how they refer to Auron in the present tense, like he's still alive?

Personally, so long as no X-3 comes out, I'm going to disregard this and the novel, and enjoy my nice happy ending because dammit, they worked for it! You all are free to do as you please.

In the credits in the FFX/X-2 Remaster, there is a new 30-minute audio drama that takes place 1 year after X-2's Good/Perfect ending I believe. Obviously, spoilers, but there's two new characters. Your opinion of this drama however might be controversial.

Well, Nomura and Nojima themselves said that this audio drama was only to 'expand' X's universe a little more, and that the producer said that they haven't got any plans for a FFX-3.

Which is strange because this is essentially a trailer for X-3 by the establishment of the main conflict alone.

If X-3 doesn't come to light, it would be questionable whether this would be canon or not. I guess it would just be open-canon, much like how some people think of X-2's Sad Ending as the 'real' ending and say that the Good Ending is just fanservice.

I'm ambivalent about this. One the one hand you have the Farplane becoming unstable. This is hinted at in X-2 when you're denied access to the Farplane in Guadosalam.

On the other hand, you have the viewpoint character having the distinct Mary Sue trait of being "related" to one of the main characters (though this is denied by everyone who was told) and Tidus and Yuna falling out due to her falling in love with someone else. I don't see how those are plausible.

Well, Chuami (the viewpoint character) is supposed to be seen as this selfish hotheaded girl who outright berates people for following some of Yevon's teachings; a religion that not only controlled the world but also prevented people from straying from the path and actually finding a way to save Spira. It could be possible that Chuami IS lying about Auron to make herself more secure around the people, or maybe her late mother lied to her for some unknown reason. In fact, maybe Chuami, since her mother's murder, got scared of the Yevoner hunters and is trying to pass herself off as a legendary guardian's relative so that she wouldn't be a target. Besides, Lulu says that Chuami looks absolutely nothing like Auron, unlike Yuna with Braska or Tidus with Jecht.

As for the 'break-up' thing, a lot of people are thinking, including myself, that Yuna lied to Tidus about having a new lover so that he wouldn't have the will to follow her and potentially get killed again. In fact, Lulu outright implies this. There's also other contradicting points in other parts (such as Yuna confirming that Tidus is her lover or that she decides to go to Tidus as soon as Sin appears.) A very flawed plan, which would lead to tons of misunderstandings and angst, but a plan that works nonetheless... Except Tidus decides to follow her after all, so it was a totally lose-lose situation.

Chuami is such a likable character. That whole story arc (knowing the novella stuff that was in between) seems actually interesting enough for them to follow-up with. That was all much more interesting than I thought it would be.

That all being said, if ultimately no X-3, I'll probably disregard this extra stuff.